One of the more common trends we’ve noticed in 2011 has been the application of zippers on the medial sidewalls of a variety of sneakers that both makes them easier to get on without adjusting the laces, and adds a little edge to even the most classic silhouettes. Among the first of these to hit retail back around the turn of the year was the Nike Blazer Mid AB, a model that appears here today for the first time with the kind of zipper you’d expect from jeanswear or a classically styled backpack. The use of these brass fixtures instead of a tonal or contrasting look gives the olive green and black suede pairs a considerably smoother feel overall, and when paired with the AB’s All Court-like toecap and lack of side panel Swooshes, you’ve got a model here that’s familiar enough to attract onlookers’ attention just long enough that they’ll have to ask you where you got them. Click through for closer views of both pairs and stick with Sneaker News for word on the US release date. via atmos
Nike Blazer Mid AB
Olive/White
488162-300
Black/White
488162-010